Backing businessSPORTING siblings, Mick and Niall Kearney, are encouraging the public to play their part in job creation and join ‘Team Ireland’.

The duo have joined forces with ConnectIreland to inspire people to reach out to their networks and promote Ireland.

Mick, a recent addition to the Leinster Rugby squad, and his brother Niall, a pro-golfer, are used to representing Ireland on the world stage. But this time they are putting on the green jersey in a business sense.

The siblings, who are mak-ing names for themselves in their respective sports, took time out from their hectic sched-ules recently to promote Ire-land as a place to do business.

“I think it goes without say-ing when you look at the mul-

tinational companies that are here at the moment, they are here because of the people and the culture. The Irish are definitely hardworking, de-termined and driven towards

goals,” said 24-year-old Mick.“We are passionate, patri-

otic, honest and hardworking,”

added Niall (27). “I think we’re a highly intelligent society: a huge percentage of people leaving school go straight into university and graduate with degrees and masters. It’s a great place for any multination-al, they’ll certainly get a highly skilled workforce for a start”.

The pair are encour-aging people to reach out to their networks and ask them: “how’s business?”

“Link them up with Con-nectIreland, give them the opportunity to see what’s on offer here. I think it’s a very logical set up,” added Niall.

“I think ConnectIreland is re-ally good. Anything that is bring-ing jobs and new businesses into Ireland is incredibly positive for the economy,” agreed Mick.

ISSUE 2 2015/16CONNECTIRELAND IN ASSOCIATION WITH IDA

SINCE its inception, the Suc-ceed in Ireland initiative has been building steadily. The initiative was launched by the Irish Gov-ernment to encourage members of the public to reach out to their networks and encourage foreign direct investment into Ireland.

Now with a promising pipeline of companies eager to explore the many benefits of doing busi-ness in Ireland, ConnectIreland works in partnership with IDA Ire-land to encourage these compa-nies to choose Ireland as a busi-ness location.

In three short years the pro-gramme has helped 50 compa-nies to expand their operations to Ireland. Together these compa-nies will create over 1,500 jobs in the next three to five years. Many of these jobs are already in place.

Of these projects, many were

considering expansion elsewhere in Europe, before the introduction of a connector put Ireland on their radar.

Projects established through the programme include software development, helicopter leasing, food processing and many more. These companies have estab-lished operations not just in the urban centres of Dublin, Cork and Galway, but right across Ireland as a result of the introductions made by connectors.

Reach out to your network and you could help create jobs in Ire-land, as well as earning a sizea-ble financial reward. Up to €1,500 will be paid by the Irish Govern-ment for every job created, up to 100 jobs, thanks to your introduc-tion.

To see how other connectors have done it, turn to page 4.

50 projects to date, creating over 1500 jobs Sports stars on board with job creation initiative

Kearney brothers, Mick and Niall, team up to become ambassadors for ConnectIreland Photo: Paul Sherwood Photography

“It goes without saying when you look

at the multinational companies that are here at the moment,

they are here be-cause of the people

and the culture.”

NEWS2

IRELAND continues to prove its global appeal as companies from around the world establish Irish operations through the Succeed in Ireland initiative.

To date, companies from four continents have been encour-aged to expand their entities to Irish soil through the introductions of the global Irish.

American companies ac-count for almost 70% of the com-panies successfully introduced to ConnectIreland, while businesses from the UK, Europe, Australia and Asia account for the remain-der.

Just under 10% of compa-nies that have established Euro-pean bases in Ireland through the programme originated in Austral-ia and Asia. The fact that Ireland is on the radar for companies on

the opposite side of the globe yet again highlights the country’s strong, pro-business reputation.

In the first half of 2015, a further 13 projects were approved under the Succeed in Ireland ini-tiative, leading to the creation of over 500 jobs in the coming three years.

Regional locations have won a strong share of the global investment introduced through the initiative, with almost half of com-panies choosing to establish out-side of Dublin.

The ease of doing business in Ireland and proximity to Europe, as well as the favourable tax cli-mate and availability of skilled workers, has been cited time and time again by international com-panies who choose Ireland as a base for their expansion.

Ireland attracts global attention

WHAT’S INSIDE THIS ISSUE...

Minister for Business and Employment Ged Nash congratulates Colm Browne, Director of European Operations, and Lorcan Wogan, Software Engineer, ProSeeder, on the creation of their first European office in Dublin. Also pictured is Michael McLoughlin, former CEO, ConnectIreland

Financial software firm creates 15 jobs at European base in Dublin

Pg 6 Becoming a startup hubEoin Costello, Chief Executive of Startup Ireland talks all things startups and explains why Ireland should focus on becoming a global startup hub by 2020.

Pg 7 Why Ireland?There are many reasons why companies choose to invest in Ireland, IDA Ireland explains.

ConnectIreland, 14 St Stephen’s Green, DublinPhone: +353 1 6353716

email: info@connectireland.com web: www.connectireland.com

SMK Corporation, a multination-al electro-mechanical component manufacturer headquartered in To-kyo, Japan is to establish a new European Headquarters in Dub-lin, creating 11 jobs in three years.

SMK designs and produces a wide range of products for the elec-tronics sector including connectors

and switches, remote control units and touch screens. Demand for SMK products is driven by the requirements of a new generation of communica-tions devices such as smart phones and tablets, as well as a proliferation of Pay TV Services and ever-increas-ing electronic content in vehicles.

The new European Headquarters, located at Northwood Business Park in Dub-lin, will co-ordinate the activities of the compa-ny’s sales and design operations in Europe and will employ seven people initially. SMK Electronics (Europe) Limited will be over-seen by Dubliner Paul Evans, Corporate Ex-ecutive VP, and SMK’s first non-Japanese Vice

President. Mr Evans praised Ireland’s talented workforce as a major contrib-uting factor in their decision to locate the European expansion in Ireland.

“We considered a number of lo-cations for our new European Head-quarters including Germany, Eng-land and the Netherlands. We chose Ireland because of the availability of highly skilled professionals and the business friendly environment. Con-nectIreland’s support enabled us to establish our new European HQ in Dublin far quicker than we could have in any other location we considered.

“We expect to create seven jobs in Dublin in the first year and given the rapid growth of our business in Eu-rope, we expect our Dublin HQ to play a central role in our expansion over the next 10 years. As our business in Eu-rope grows, Dublin can expect to ben-efit from that growth,” added Mr Evans.

30 jobs for Dublin in US software firm

‘We chose Ireland because of the availability of highly skilled workers’

ProSeeder Technologies, Inc., a cloud-based finan-cial software platform, will establish its first Euro-pean subsidiary office in Dublin creating 15 jobs.

ProSeeder Technol-ogies Limited will estab-lish a technology centre for software development activities complemented by a small sales and busi-ness development team.

ProSeeder provides a customisable finan-cial technology platform for investment firms and networks to conduct their operations related to direct investment in private securities. The platform enables organ-isations to effectively manage deal flow pro-

cesses, vet more opportu-nities, conduct compliant transactions and reduce the cost of overheads.

The company will create 15 positions in the Dublin office over the coming three years.

Ireland’s availability of talent and the ease of access to the EU and Eu-rozone were key factors in the company’s deci-sion to locate its Europe-an operation in Ireland.

“When we assessed where to establish our European base of opera-tions, Dublin was a logical choice given the access to talent and the very pro-business environment in Ireland. This location will expand our support to

our European clients and give us greater interaction with them as we continue to grow our business in-ternationally,” explained Colm Browne, Director of European Operations.

ProSeeder offers financial firms a fully integrated, and high-ly configurable cloud-based platform to man-age all aspects of their investment processes.

Ken Gatz, CEO, com-mented: “ProSeeder has become a global bridge between the US and EU seed and venture invest-ment communities. Our Dublin office will bring fur-ther collaboration between investment organisations and growing companies.”

DataClarity Corpora-tion, a leader in busi-ness analytics soft-ware, consulting, and education services is to establish an EMEA HQ in Dublin city cen-tre with plans to create an initial 30 jobs over the next three years.

DataClarity trans-forms corporate data into actionable infor-mation, empowering organisations to make decisions that max-imize performance.

DataClarity re-sponds to the individu-alised needs of every client by combining best-in-class software, applications and con-

tent, with certified tech-nical and financial con-sultants who possess in-depth business and finance knowledge, in-dustry best practices, and lessons learned from years of working with industry-leading organisations globally.

“At DataClarity, our philosophy embod-ies lifetime client rela-tionships and our new EMEA Headquarters will enable us to best serve our existing and new European cus-tomers and drive the overall growth of our global business,” said Mark Mueller, Managing Partner at DataClarity. SMK Corporation establishes new European HQ

Pg 4 Connector focusTwo connectors share their stories on how they introduced companies to ConnectIreland and helped create almost 30 jobs between them.

NEWS 3

Ethnic food producer to create 20 jobs in MeathWHITE-LABEL ethnic

food producer Deko Foods Ltd is to create an initial 20 jobs in Meath following the launch of their new processing plant.

Deko Foods is a specialist white-label manufacturer cater-ing for the Afro-Caribbean and South-American segments of the worldwide ethnic foods mar-ket. In order to meet international demand for their food and drink products, the UK-based com-pany will establish a processing plant in Kells Business Park.

The company, which will focus on manufacturing dry, non-perishable food items at the Kells base before expanding, hopes to hire 20 employees in the coming three years.

Yomi Aiyegbusi, Founder and CEO of Deko Foods, said: “We chose Kells due to its close proximity to both Dublin’s sea-port and airport, and also be-cause we found a suitable prem-ises there, ideal for our type of operation. Another incentive was the level of government support and funding provided to new businesses choosing to locate in the Kells area; it’s exceptionally higher than other regions.

“I was also introduced to several other food producers and packagers in the area, all of whom assured me that Kells

and its neighbouring towns could provide the necessary resources my business requires, like the right staff.

“Ireland is perfect for us as it has a rich agricultural her-itage and because of its prox-imity to the UK, where we have an established consumer base. Aside from its English speaking, highly literate population and its

attractive tax system, another attraction was the many incen-tives Ireland provides to new and foreign businesses, especially those that are export-driven or invest heavily in R&D.”

The Aiyegbusi family is credited with creating and pop-ularising a revolutionary instant flour mix for ‘Pounded Yam’, a popular dietary staple consid-

ered a delicacy across Africa.“As most of our revenue

is generated from export sales and we invest heavily in R&D and NPD, these were significant deciding factors for us. But the ultimate deciding factor was not only Ireland’s hospitable and re-laxed nature but also because Ireland is a progressive EU na-tion that encourages entrepre-

neurship and is slowly becoming a cosmopolitan hub for not only European but world business. We wished to be part of that pro-gress,” continued Yomi.

The company was intro-duced to ConnectIreland by local Meath man Hugh Morris.

Enterprise Ireland was also instrumental in helping Deko Foods to establish in Ireland.

Yomi Aiyegbusi, Deko Foods (right) celebrates the launch of his new Irish base with Minister of State for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Damien English; Kevin Stewart, Meath County Council; Joanna Murphy, CEO, ConnectIreland; Nick Marmion, Enterprise Ireland; and Hugh Morris, connector

A FRENCH-OWNED superfood company plans to create 13 jobs in Ireland through their European expansion. The company, Pas-sion Spiruline Ltd., which pro-duces and sells the health food and dietary supplement called spirulina, recently established a European hub in Dublin city cen-tre. The company was founded by three passionate French en-trepreneurs, of which two have a background in spirulina produc-tion. Passion Spiruline Ltd. has emerged as a specialist in the spirulina supply-chain, with ex-clusive production partnerships as well as a direct pilot produc-tion operation in France. Their aim is to transform spirulina, an iron-rich supplement, from a die-tary supplement to a superfood. Core activity revolves around Gourmet Spirulina, a premium spirulina brand made of the UK and Ireland’s only culinary-grade raw spirulina. Their portfolio also includes B2B activities, among which supplying businesses with premium spirulina for health

foods as well as specialised di-etary supplement mixes. The company has launched an ex-tensive range of products, in-cluding healthy raw Spirulina in nibs, crunchies and petals forms and has plans for more. In part-nership with the Independent Brewing Company of Ireland, the company issued a celebratory green ale for St Patrick’s Day. Commenting on the expansion, Alois Medee, Director and CFO, said: “We are delighted to have settled in the heart of Dublin City. Being in Ireland will enable us to grow our operations and expand our commercial efforts into other English-speaking countries. This can only be done by benefiting from a highly skilled local work-force. We are immensely happy with the services provided by ConnectIreland. They have been a tremendous help to us, most significantly giving important advice and putting us in contact with the right people and organi-zations, thereby helping us grow our business here in Ireland.”

Healthy interest in Dublinas Spiruline sets up base

CANADIAN technology firm, Blatant Media Corporation, is to establish a European operations hub in Dublin, creating 12 new jobs.

Absorb Technology Ltd., the company’s new European subsidiary, develops and delivers Absorb Learn-ing Management System (LMS), a Software as a Service (SaaS) platform that allows organisations to administer training courses to internal and external audiences. The key functions of the Dublin base will be sales and support of the growing European market in addition to extending support access for all Absorb LMS clients globally.

The company, which initially re-

searched Britain, Spain, and France as possible locations for their European expansion, eventually chose Ireland cit-ing Ireland’s strong tech infrastructure and proven track record in attracting major international corporations.

Mike Owens, co-founder of Absorb Technology said: “We’re very excited to take the next big step with Absorb. Opening an office in Ireland was an easy decision. We needed a European presence and the business and tech-nology community in Dublin was the perfect fit for us.”

The company was introduced to Con-nectIreland through an Irish business acquaintance, Gerry McInerney.

New jobs with tech firm

Minister for Business and Employment Ged Nash congratulates Bry-an Harrigan, European Operations Manager, Absorb Technology, on the creation of their European hub in Dublin

Wexford benefitsfrom investmentUNITED Chemical Technologies (Irl) Ltd, recently announced plans to es-tablish a new European manufacturing facility in Wexford, creating 17 jobs.

The company, a registered sub-sidiary of United Chemical Technol-ogies, Inc, will be based in Ardca-van Business Park, Wexford town.

Welcoming the announcement, Min-ister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Brendan Howlin TD said: “UCT has made an excellent choice in establish-ing its new European facility in Wexford.

“This facility will create 17 jobs in a company that is a world lead-er in its field and highlights that the Action Plan for Jobs is delivering.

The Minister continued: “This Government’s stated aim is to en-sure that the economic recovery reaches all parts of the country.

“The improving employment lev-els in County Wexford are further proof that this policy is working”.

The company is a world lead-er in the field of silica-based Solid Phase Extraction (SPE).

The main functions of the Irish opera-tions will include manufacturing, quality assurance, distribution and technical sup-port services for the European market.

The company was introduced to ConnectIreland through an Irish business associate, Gerry Grady.

Company president Bethany Magrann said: “United Chemical Tech-nologies is looking forward to expanding our European business segment. Ire-land is the perfect location for this devel-opment due to its innovative workforce and committed business environment. Both ConnectIreland and Gerry Grady have played an integral part in helping make this process a seamless one.”Passion Spiruline celebrate their launch

CONNECTOR FOCUS4

IT was only by chance that Gerry Grady heard about UCT’s plans for expansion.

“I heard UCT might be planning something for Europe and I knew some people in the US organisa-tion so I rang them up and we had a discussion regarding setting up in Ireland,” explained Gerry, who came across ConnectIreland and the Succeed in Ireland initiative on one of his many journeys through Dublin Airport.

As a result of that initial phone call, Gerry was instrumental in helping the company establish their European base in Wexford.

United Chemical Technologies, Inc (UCT) is a world leader in the field of silica-based Solid Phase Extraction (SPE) technology, rou-tinely used in Clinical, Forensic and Environmental Laboratories for the extraction of trace analytes in complex samples.

The main functions of the Wex-ford operation will include man-ufacturing, quality assurance, distribution and technical support services for the European market.

Globally, UCT employs over 100 people. An additional 17 people will be employed by the company in Wexford, at their facilities in Ar-dcavan Business Park, by the end of 2017.

Gerry, a married father-of-two, who is originally from Mayo, has a background in the Laboratory Technology Business and found the company’s plans persuasive.

Immediately he asked them to consider Ireland.

“As the project evolved there’s an element of national pride in it – providing opportunities to people who may not have had them. It’s very rewarding. It’s been a very positive experience.”

While he doesn’t have any di-rect links to Wexford himself, Ger-ry said the response from the local community really helped persuade UCT to choose the location.

The availability of a suitable facility, the positive approach of everyone encountered, as well as access to a well-educated, ef-ficient and committed workforce were just some of the deciding factors. “Wexford was hugely helpful. It was a very positive ex-perience and that really accelerat-ed the project,” added Gerry.

UCT president Bethany Magrann complimented Gerry on putting Ireland on their radar.

“Both ConnectIreland and Ger-ry Grady have played an integral part in helping make this process a seamless one.

“United Chemical Technologies is looking forward to expanding our European business segment.

“Ireland is the perfect location for this development due to its innovative workforce and commit-ted business environment.”

Joanna Murphy, CEO, Connec-tIreland welcomed United Chemi-cal Technologies, a market leader, to Wexford.

‘I was taken by this pro-active initiative’ Chance encounter leads to jobs boost for County Wexford

ABSORB Technology Ltd, a European subsidiary of Blatant Media Corporation, will estab-lish their European communica-tions hub in Dublin City Centre, creating 12 jobs, following an interaction between two pro-fessionals on either side of the Atlantic.

Gerry McInerney, an account-ant from Dublin, heard about Absorb Technology’s plans for expansion from a Canadian connection and immediately en-couraged the company to con-sider Ireland, putting them in touch with ConnectIreland.

Gerry, a partner in McInerney Saunders, Chartered Account-

ants in Swords, came across ConnectIreland and the ‘Suc-ceed in Ireland’ initiative on one of his many journeys through Dublin Airport.

“I was passing through Dublin Airport a number of years ago and saw the ConnectIreland stand.

“I was taken by the pro-active initiative at a time when Ireland was feeling the worst effects of the Global Financial Crisis and thought it was a very practical one and so registered straight away,” explained Gerry, who has always proudly promoted Ireland as a place to do busi-ness.

Absorb Technology develops and delivers Absorb Learning Management System (LMS), a Software as a Service (SaaS) platform that allows organisa-tions to post training materials which are distributed to learners based on automated rule sets.

“I am always trying to put the message out there about Ire-land as a place to do business.

“I’m delighted that Absorb Technology has chosen Ireland for their expansion,” added Ger-ry.

“It is always very satisfying to have had an involvement with the creation of valuable employ-ment opportunities at home.”

Bryan Harrigan, European Operations Manager, Absorb Technology, with Gerry McInerney, the con-nector who introduced the company to ConnectIreland

A SUCCESSFUL businessman, Liam Griffin knows what businesses look for when expanding. So it makes perfect sense that he is helping to encourage international companies to consider Ire-land as a commercial location.

Liam, entrepreneur, Managing Direc-tor with The Griffin Group and former County Wexford hurling manager, has been unveiled as the Wexford ambas-sador for ConnectIreland, pledging his support to help drive job creation in the county. Wexford County Council, together with ConnectIreland, is spear-heading a local plan to help attract foreign direct investment and secure jobs for the Model County. The people

of Wexford are taking matters into their own hands and getting behind a cam-paign to help create jobs in the county.

Speaking about his role, Liam said: “I am delighted to be the County Wex-ford Ambassador for ConnectIreland and I’m supportive of anything which assists in any way to make progress for County Wexford. The people of Wex-ford have been the county’s biggest asset and this is a way for us all to use our contacts to support more jobs in the county and the country. I look forward to working with ConnectIreland and Wexford County Council in progressing the initiative on a local level”.

Tony Larkin, Wexford County Coun-

cil, said: “Wexford has a fantastic in-frastructure for businesses and we are committed to helping international companies discover the many bene-fits of doing business in such a vibrant county. At Wexford County Council we want the people of Wexford, at home and abroad, to help us spread the word that our county is open for business.”

Councils across Ireland are working together with ConnectIreland to reach out to their networks and showcase what they have to offer expanding com-panies in their local area. Get involved with the Community Action Plan in your area by contacting your local council or ConnectIreland.

NEWS 5‘Ireland has a positivity about it, an energy and willingness to do something great, to achieve great things together’

Wexford rolls out ambassador, other counties to follow suit

IN training for Rio 2016, Irish athlete Jason Smyth is resilient, focused and determined. The ConnectIreland am-bassador is working hard towards his goal of becoming both an Olympic and Paralympic medallist.

His dream to become the first visually impaired athlete to compete in both the Paralympics and Olympics in the same year is edging ever closer to reality. De-fending his unbeaten nine year stretch, Jason’s main focus is on remaining inju-ry free for the coming months.

“ T r a i n i n g has been going really well over the past few months. I am very h a p p y

w i t h where I

a m a t

this minute in time. I am injury free and constantly building and building so when I get to Rio I can be hitting the times I need to in order to win gold and defend my titles,” he explains.

Putting in the work off the track is cru-cial to success, according to Jason.

“My training regime is quite tough, but it is the focal point of where my success comes from. Each day is different with its own regime and every day I push my body to its limit. As an athlete it’s not just about what you do at the track but what you do 24/7. It’s a lifestyle perspective.”

The fastest Paralympian on the plan-et, Jason knows that a strong work ethic and the ability to overcome injury is key to where he is today.

“Overcoming injury is probably one of the most difficult things to deal with as an athlete. The challenge of pushing yourself as far as you can go but with-out overdoing it. It feels like I am constantly straddling a very fine line between being injury free and being injured.

The thing I have found to be key is my recovery. Things like getting enough sleep, eating the right food, stretching, ice baths and regular physio treatment have all played a huge part in being injury free.”

Diagnosed with Stargardt’s dis-ease at the age of 8, Jason, born in Derry, is top of his game in the

100m and 200m sprint. As a Paralympic athlete he has won every gold medal there is to win in his classes.

He has a total of 13 European, World and Paralympic gold medals, as well as being the current world record holder in both of his events. He narrowly missed out on a place at London 2012 by just 0.04 seconds. He is committed to not being in that position again this time around.

With a strong track record and plen-ty of talent, Jason has a reputation for greatness. So too does Ireland.

“I think Ireland offers so much to inter-national companies. It’s not just about having a trained and educated work-force or a competitive economic climate - which we do. Ireland has a positivity

about it, an energy and will-i n g n e s s to do something great, to a c h i e v e g r e a t things to-

gether. Irish people want to succeed and want to help others to do the same. It’s the welcome, the rich culture, the shared sense of journey, and the vision that Ireland has to offer.”

Representing Ireland is important to Jason, on and off the track.

“Being a ConnectIreland ambassador

means representing all that Ireland has to offer. By this I mean that when I meet people on my travels, when I talk to those visiting our country, when I attend corporate or public engagements; I rep-resent all that Ireland is. It’s a country of those who have a strong work ethic, a warm and friendly attitude, and a wel-coming smile.

“The Irish people are loved the world over. For me I just enjoy myself when I am traveling and competing and this reflects the Irish culture which we have become known for - hard work, success based on preparation, enjoying the so-

cial side of life, and looking to help those around us on the journey.”

Jason Smyth is an Irish Paralympic athlete who holds the world record in the 100m and 200m sprint. Diag-nosed with Stargardt’s disease, he has just 5% vision. He is in training for both the Paralympic Games and Olympic Games in Rio 2016.

If you would like to follow Jason’s journey or sponsor him, like his Facebook page or follow him on Twit-ter at @smyth_jason.

Hotelier and entrepreneur Liam Griffin, The Griffin Group, is unveiled as the new ambassador for county Wexford by Joanna Murphy, CEO, ConnectIreland and Tony Larkin, Deputy CEO, Wexford County Council

“Irish people want to succeed and

want to help others to do the same.”

ConnectIreland ambassador and Irish Paralympian, Jason Smyth with his medals

DIGITAL business solutions company, 6D Global Technol-ogies, Inc. recently announced that they will open an office in Ireland, marking the official launch of the company’s Euro-pean operations.

To service customers outside the United States, 6D Global, listed on NASDAQ under stock symbol “SIXD”, has begun expansion of its operations into the European market with the formation of an Irish office. This is a key milestone for 6D Global who already works with businesses and agencies in different industry sectors around the world. The key functions of the Dublin-based 6D Global will be sales and solution support of the company’s growing Euro-pean business, in addition to extending support access for all of 6D Global’s clients looking to expand globally. The company plans to create 60 jobs in three years at their Dublin office.

Many of the world’s biggest and most successful companies across a range of industry sec-tors already have considerable operations in Ireland.

“We are seeing a tremendous demand from our customers to have one digital solution partner that is positioned to support their growth globally,” said Tejune Kang, CEO for 6D Global Technologies, Inc. “Our global customer footprint makes it increasingly important for us to offer local representation to

our customers around the world. When we assessed where to establish our European base of operations, Ireland was a logical choice given its growing reputation in driving world-class innovation and access to talent. Ireland is a perfect springboard into 6D Global’s growth interna-tionally.”

Welcoming the announce-ment, Ireland’s Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton TD said: “I am delighted that 6D Global has chosen Ireland to establish their European operations. This an-nouncement is another Succeed in Ireland project supported by my Department through IDA Ire-land in association with Connec-tIreland and demonstrates how reaching out to the Irish diaspora through this Government initia-tive has brought many new com-panies to invest in Ireland. Once again our top-class workforce and support for businesses are making Ireland the destination of choice for companies looking to establish a European base. I wish 6D Global every success in the future.”

Joanna Murphy, Connec-tIreland CEO, said: “It is great to see another 60 jobs being created through the Succeed in Ireland initiative. 6D Global is a leader in digital solutions and Dublin offers the perfect tech infrastructure to support their expansion. We are delighted to welcome them to Ireland.”

60 jobs for Dublin

OPINION6

STARTUP Ireland’s goal is help Ireland become a global startup hub by 2020 - a Start-up Island. The Startup Gath-ering (October 5-10 2015) is a key building block towards this goal.

A major international rank-ing of startup ecosystems was released a couple of weeks ago. No Irish city made it into the top 20 but Austin (Texas, population 843,000) and four European capitals did. Equal-ly no Irish cities have featured in a number of recent ‘top five places in Europe to start’ arti-cles but Paris, Budapest and Estonia did.

High growth startups that scale rapidly are increasing-ly defining the way advanced economies grow and compete. Startups such as Uber, AirBnB and Snapchat achieved billion dollar valuations in months rather than the years or dec-ades it took in the past. When Dr Anita Sands (speaking at a recent American Chamber event) said we are living in one of the most disruptive, transformative times the world has ever seen she was proba-bly mindful of the fact that, by 2014, 90% of 1955’s Fortune 500 firms were gone.

Startups create two thirds of new jobs in modern economies and increasingly multination-al corporations see an active startup community as essen-tial threshold requirements for FDI investment in a region. In light of this, our Government appreciates the importance of

startups and has implemented many new measures to de-liver on ambitious targets for job-creation by startups.

Becoming a ‘Startup Island’ by 2020 is good for business. Competition for foreign direct investment is increasingly ecosystem-to-ecosystem rath-er than city or even country based. A vibrant startup eco-system in Ireland will help in-centivise key ‘mission critical’ activities of the multinationals to be located here, thereby helping make these corporates more deeply embedded in Ire-land for the long term.

To accel-erate the c h a n g e needed for Ireland to b e c o m e a glob-al startup hub there is much we can learn from the t r a n s f o r -mation of Irish rugby from amateur status to today’s highly professional (and successful) status.

In transitioning Irish rugby the IRFU set about three things:

Pipeline – Large increase in the number of people play-ing rugby across Ireland and across genders. Equally the provinces were strengthened so that the increased talent would have a top class playing platform in Ireland.

Ambition – After many years of seeking to avoid the ‘wooden spoon’ each season, a top five place in international rankings was targeted. This higher lev-el of ambition meant a critical examination of how the IRFU managed its affairs led to many process and procedural chang-es across the organisation.

International – To bench-mark Ireland against the best in the world the input of the best playing and coaching tal-ent from around the world is now a key part of the game in Ireland.

Looking at the success of the IRFU approach, Ire-land’s start-up revolution needs:

Pipeline – A step change in the quantum of high impact entrepreneurs emerging here

if Ireland is to reap the jobs and in-

novation that successful start-ups are proven to create.

Ambition – To avoid their emigration to competing start-up hubs in the UK, the US and Europe, we also need to see our city regions display the lev-el of ambition needed to deliver the rapid development of glob-ally competitive hubs that can accelerate the scaling up of an increased number of startups within Ireland.

International – We also need to project our startup in-dustry internationally to attract international talent to our coun-try (startups, investors, entre-preneurs) to gain the spillover benefits that this will bring to our domestic startups.

Indeed as we enter 2016, a very significant year for our country, Minister Bruton’s statement in the 2014 Action Plan for Jobs that now is the time to start creating a new future rings true. Startups are capable of leading this new future. When I represented Ireland at the Startup Nations Summit in Korea in 2014 the speaker after me described how the success of the start-up ecosystem in his country (which is in the top five) was a gradual evolution “but in Ire-land you have the potential for a startup revolution!”

We are at a point where the narrative about our country, ‘Brand Ireland’, has a great opportunity to be redefined as one of adaptability, agility, of being resilient and resourceful, the right attributes for a global startup hub of innovation and enterprise. If we truly want more people to start, scale and succeed from Ireland we need something big and transforma-tional to help create indigenous engines of growth in each of our cities. Imagine if 2016 was nominated Ireland’s National Startup Year, what a great way to accelerate Ireland’s journey to becoming a global startup hub!

‘Becoming a Startup Island by 2020 is good for business’

GAA impactextends farbeyond theaction onthe pitch

Eoin Costello, Chief Executive of Startup Ireland Partnership, ex-plains why Ireland should focus on becoming a global startup hub.

THE GAA is an organisation with a legacy like no other. As one of the largest sporting organisations in Ire-land it continues to develop its na-tional and international following. Our nation felt a strong impact from the recent economic downturn and as a result Ireland lost many of its brightest young talents to search for employ-ment abroad. For this reason the GAA supported ConnectIreland to help to create new jobs and bring our players back to Ireland.

Helping to develop the ConnectIre-land model, which aims to reach out to networks beyond the traditional areas of Britain and the US and attract new business to Ireland and create em-ployment opportunities, is important. Everyone knows that the GAA have many players living abroad and our first ever GAA World Games, held this year in Abu Dhabi, was testament to this. In order for us to bring our young people home we must help create jobs for them and connecting businesses abroad to Ireland will enable this.

Our Association has a strong net-work of clubs abroad, with interest in Gaelic Games reaching a growing number of countries around the world. With over 450 international clubs, our Games are fast becoming some of the most well-known amateur sports in the world. Our international com-munity is about more than kicking a ball and pucking a sliotar. GAA Clubs abroad are the backbone of the Irish communities, so often the first stop for Irish people who find themselves in an unfamiliar place. This reach and im-pact of GAA community is unique and lends itself naturally to the achieve-ment of the aims of this initiative. Lev-eraging our GAA networks abroad, we want to encourage new businesses to venture to Ireland, create employment and bring with it GAA members who left the country in search of opportu-nities Ireland couldn’t provide at the time.

The GAA is proud of the place it holds in Irish society, with roots in every community and with an impact that extends far beyond what happens on the pitch. We aim to contribute to-wards different aspects of life and this includes employment and education. Our partnership with ConnectIreland has enabled us to achieve this, which is a feat we are proud to play a part in.

Eoin Costello, CEO, Startup Ireland

By Lisa Clancy, Communications Director, GAA

Lisa Clancy, GAA

IN 2015, the Irish Government launched their first policy docu-ment, ‘Global Irish: Ireland’s Dias-pora Policy’, focusing on diaspora relations.

In it, it’s clear to see that Ireland’s focus on diaspora engagement has shifted, with an increased interest in bringing value to both the dias-pora and Ireland.

‘Global Irish’ outlines key ways in which the Government will con-nect with emigrants who have left Ireland, while also recognising their value to Ireland and support-ing those who are in need of assis-tance abroad.

Engaging with Ireland’s diaspora in a meaningful way is also funda-

mental in growing Ireland’s busi-ness offering.

ConnectIreland’s ongoing work with the diaspora in respect of at-tracting foreign direct investment is central to this.

The new diaspora policy ac-knowledges ConnectIreland’s efforts in mobilising the global Irish community to be the ‘eyes and ears’ for Ireland in identifying companies seeking to expand into Europe or looking for a European base.

ConnectIreland’s ambition to create 5,000 real, sustainable jobs is not just about engaging the dias-pora to introduce leads but, more importantly, it is about creating op-

portunities at home so that people have the option to return.

Addressing the Global Irish Civic Forum earlier this year, ConnectIre-land took part in a panel discussion on ‘Assisting Emigrants Returning to Ireland’. The Global Irish Civic Forum, co-hosted by the Depart-ment of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the UCD Clinton Institute for American Studies, attracted many representatives from the global Irish community and organisations that work with the Irish abroad.

Together with IDA Ireland and the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, ConnectIreland is committed to creating jobs across all regions of Ireland.

To that end, ConnectIreland’s re-gional strategy features prominent-ly in the Government’s Regional Action Plans for Jobs, launched throughout 2015. Each plan will promote its specific region as a venue for foreign direct investment based on its unique selling points. ConnectIreland will work with all eight committees to achieve a suc-cessful regional spread of jobs.

The aim of the plan is to empow-er the public to become involved in the success of the region. Elements of the plan include a 12 month me-dia campaign, introducing a local ambassador and encouraging peo-ple to reach out to their networks to promote their local area.

Engagement the focus of new diaspora policy

FEATURE 7

Ireland is home to 1,200 overseas company operations.

Ireland ranks 1st in the world for the flexibility and adaptability of its workforce.

The Irish tax regime is open, stable and transparent and complies fully with OECD guidelines and EU competition law.

Ireland’s Education System ranks in the top ten countries in the world.

Ireland has a large number of attractive cities/towns that have proven ability to attract Foreign direct investment.

Some of the word’s most innovative brands have chosen to invest in Ireland, they join a cadre of cutting-edge companies that is Irish enterprise.

Ireland—a member of the EU since 1973 and Eurozone member.

Ireland is now in the Global Top 20 for the quality of our scientific research.

Find out more about #WhyIreland at www.idaireland.comFollow us @IDAIRELAND

Ireland is ranked one of the best countries in the world to do business.

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WHEN a connector makes a successful introduction to a company which subsequently expands to Ireland, they are paid a reward of up to €1,500 per job created (up to a maxi-mum 100 jobs).

The connector can choose to spend this reward however they see fit, or donate it to a charity of their choosing.

Matt English, CEO of Special Olympics Ireland, speaks to The Connector about why connectors should consider donating their reward and how that money can help charities like Special Olympics.

“For me sport and well-being are crit-ically important. We have all heard that ‘your health is your wealth’. After your health, we all want to make a difference in society, to add value. So many great people were unable to find suitable work during the depths of the recent recession. Thankfully, the economy is recovering and so many people now are being given opportunities to find meaningful work for themselves and their families. We still have a long way to go and as a country we must never be complacent. We need to continue to strive for full employment.

“Ireland has an outstanding reputa-tion for business. We get things done and enjoy doing it. Of course we have recently shown great moral courage

and resilience in dealing with a very difficult recession. Our innate people skills backed up with quality education, open economy and a can-do attitude help our reputation also.

“Special Olympics is first and fore-most a people organisation. You can never be too connected and Connect Ireland is another important avenue for us to plug in to our brothers and sisters across the globe.

“Special Olympics Ireland is very well regarded amongst its peers as one of, if not the strongest programme in the world. Evidence of this was wit-nessed by all when Ireland hosted the World Games in 2003. The legacy of those games was and remains tremendous. Participation levels in Ireland are unequalled. We offer a very significant range of sports on a year round basis. Athletes are also given a range of opportu-nities to develop outside of the competitive sports arena.

“New athletes continue to join the programme. As of July 2015 we have 9,232 registered athletes and these are supported by over 26,000 registered volunteers many of whom help to run the 369 clubs across the 32 counties of Ireland. Our athletes, their families and our wonderful volunteers - seeing so many lives enhanced through partici-pation in the programme for me is the best thing.

“It costs approximately €5million per

annum to run the pro-gramme. This varies from year

to year, being more expensive around National Games (year three of the cycle) and World Games (year four of the cycle). Funding is achieved through a wide range of sources including government, sponsors, foundations and fundraising activities in the community.

“There are many great causes and I applaud any connecter who donates their reward to a worthy cause. It is important for connectors to know that every small donation adds up and

makes a difference. I am very proud of Special Olympics Ireland. It is best in class and run very efficiently and cost effectively. Most importantly, we make a very positive difference to the lives of our many stakeholders, which include almost 10,000 registered athletes, their families, coaches and many fans. Team Ireland made all Irish people very proud at the World Summer Games in LA and we always welcome any financial support for our athletes.

“Money will support the cost of sending Team Ireland around the world

to compete and in building future teams for both national and international teams. Most importantly, it will support the grass-roots programme and help us to ensure that all persons with an intellectual disability have the opportu-nity to participate in sport and develop-ment activities of their choice in their communities.

“I would kindly ask connectors to check out our website at www.spe-cialolympics.ie and follow us through our various social media channels. You won’t regret it.”

THE CONNECTOR

‘We all want to make a difference in society, to add value’

Team Ireland on their way to glory at the Special Olympics World Summer Games in Los Angeles, July 2015 and (Inset)

Matt English, CEO, Special Olympics Ireland.Photo: Ray McManus / SPORTSFILE

CONNECTIRELAND recently appointed Joanna Murphy as its new CEO, marking an exciting new era for the company.

Joanna has been a key mem-ber of ConnectIreland’s leader-ship team since 2013. Initially appointed as project manager when she joined ConnectIreland in 2013, Joanna quickly rose to the role of COO, before making the next step to Chief Execu-

tive, taking over from Michael McLoughlin.

Announcing Joanna’s appoint-ment, ConnectIreland Chairman Terry Clune said: “Joanna has a strong track record and a pas-sion and enthusiasm for Connec-tIreland that is second to none. Her experience for growing new practices and developing rela-tionships has been invaluable. On behalf of ConnectIreland, I

warmly welcome Joanna as our new CEO and I look forward to her continuing to drive our suc-cess and innovation. I thank Mi-chael for his work to date and wish him well in the future.”

In three short years, Con-nectIreland has grown from a standing start to 50 projects es-tablished to date, creating over 1,500 jobs in a three to five year period. But with a diaspora of 70

million, the initiative al-ways had huge poten-tial.

“When we began this journey we were start-ing with a blank canvas. This initiative was, and still is, globally unique. The fundamental prin-ciple of the initiative lies in the very special relationship that exists between Ireland’s dias-pora and the local com-munities and areas with which they associate. As a people, the Irish and friends of Ireland have always remained connected. I m a g i n e , we poten-tially could have an army of 70 million ‘sales peo-ple’ work-ing for Ire-

land – that was the concept,” explained Joanna. “What we have ended up with after three years is 2,500 company introductions made to the programme, and at this moment in time 50 projects over the line. The really remarka-ble figure is the amount of people – connectors - who want to help. More than 50,000 people have

now registered and this number is constantly growing. The ener-gy is huge.”

And the ambition for the pro-gramme, like the connector num-bers, continues to grow.

“The ambition for the project grows every day as our jobs numbers and project numbers grow. We look forward to build-ing on our relationships and our strengths to do more in the job creation space,” continued Joan-na. “ConnectIreland is a grass roots initiative, it is community led. It’s not just for CEOs and business leaders, it is for every-one. Everyone knows someone working and living abroad. If they

hear of an op-portunity they only have to host an introduc-tion and after that we will do all the work - it is up to us to a s c e r -

tain the opportunity. The con-nector can be as involved or as uninvolved as they wish. We have such a remarkable level of connectivity as a people in this country that everyone has a part to play.”

New CEO pledges to build on diaspora engagement and continue to create valuable connections

“ConnectIreland is not just for CEOs and business leaders, it is

for everyone. Everyone knows

someone working and living abroad.”

ConnectIreland CEO Joanna Murphy